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With a very busy garden season ahead, Mosaic is going all out in its quest to recruit garden committee members and volunteers! Meetings will be held once per month, beginning mid-March (day and time TBD).

Here’s what we have in store for the 2016 season and as a garden committee member/volunteer, here is what you can be a part of and the great part about it is that there is NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. Our experienced committee members will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to help others:

Mosaic is building its newest community garden at Barth Elementary School located on the west side of Pottstown – There will be approximately 20 additional garden beds available for families in the Pottstown area to learn, grow and enjoy more fresh produce at a fraction of the cost in local grocery stores! There will also be several beds to be used as an educational tool for the students who attend the school! We need your support in the following areas:

Disseminating information about the gardens to the families who live within walking distance of the school located at 467 West Walnut (late-March). Information to include membership packet, construction timeline and committee contact information.

Assistance in recruiting volunteers (families, school students, churches and corporate volunteers) to lay top soil and mulch, assist with building a shed and to create the 20+ garden beds being built (early-April).

Speakers and organizers needed for information sessions, workshops and summer activities. Information sessions will take place in April, workshops and summer activities will be scheduled throughout the entire growing season (May-October).

Mosaic’s two downtown community gardens and its permaculture garden will be up an running, providing more opportunities to educate and support families than ever – Our existing 50+ garden beds will be available to families again this year for planting more, learning more and enjoying more of the produce grown each year! We are looking to provide families with support and additional education in order to become the great gardeners they dream of being!

Assistance in recruiting volunteers (families, school students, churches and corporate volunteers) to lay top soil and/or mulch throughout the already established garden beds and perimeter beds (early-April).

Turn compost in order to sift out and lay the ready-to-use compost and to aerate other compost from last season at each of the three garden locations (late-April).

Speakers and organizers needed for information sessions, workshops and summer activities. Information sessions will take place in April, workshops and summer activities will be scheduled throughout the entire growing season (May-October).

Produce Cart – We are in need of a few volunteers to run with our produce cart this summer! Join this fun activity happening several days throughout the growing season! The produce cart allows us to sell any garden surplus vegetables donated back to the gardens, to teach youth members how to build a business selling produce on a small scale and gives the garden an opportunity to provide area residents with information regarding their health and wellness.

There are plenty great opportunities available for all skill-sets and areas of interest! Please consider joining our community garden committee or signing up for one or two of our much needed volunteer days!

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? – you ask? A special gift pack is given to everyone who turns out to be an awesome facilitator, garden committee member or a volunteer event organizer this season! Check it out:

Each new garden committee member who attends 90% of our meetings during the growing season and signs up to support/organize at least two volunteer opportunitieswill receive a Mosaic Community Gardens T-shirt of their choice, a Mosaic Community Gardens apron, standard tote bag and a beautiful Mosaic mug along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each volunteer who organizes and rallies a troop of volunteers that provide support in the gardens for one day or morewill receive a Mosaic t-shirt, the jumbo Mosaic Community Gardens Garden Ambassador tote bag and a Mosaic CLT car magnet along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each volunteer who facilitates one informational session or workshop will receive a Mosaic T-shirt and tote bag along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each person who assists/supports our summer programming for at least 6 of each 2-hour session during the growing season will receive a t-shirt, gardening apron, a JUMBO tote bag along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Our need for additional committee members and volunteers has never been greater, the benefits and rewards have never been better!

Please sign up to support the “growth” of the Mosaic Community Land Trust Community Gardens today!

It’s EASY! Simply reply to this email or visit our Facebook or website to sign up or to receive additional information regarding all of the opportunities TODAY!

On Saturday, March 12, 2016, the Lehigh Valley Arts Council will present Young at Art, a trade show highlighting arts engagement and creative play for families with children (ages four to eighteen years old). Local arts providers will assist parents with selecting the right summer class for their aspiring creatives. Parents will witness first-hand how the arts ignite their children’s imagination, while their kids get the chance to explore their inner dancer, actor, musician, author or visual artist. This inaugural event will be held at Penn State Lehigh Valley, from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, and admission is free and open to the public.

“Young at Art is a day devoted to curiosity and entertainment,” says Executive Director Randall Forte, “especially after such a lingering winter.” The expo showcases twenty arts and cultural businesses in the region that offer a wide range of children’s programming, both for beginners and for kids at an intermediate level. Among them include Civic Theatre of Allentown, Baum School of Art, Allegro Dance Studio, Montero Violins, and Totts Gap Arts Institute.

The day’s festivities will feature an arts demonstration or performance every fifteen minutes, so kids will have a chance to imagine what kind of artist they want to be this summer. Families will have the opportunity to meet different arts instructors and join in hands-on activities. Young talent from the Junior Strings Orchestra, the Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble and the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts will provide additional entertainment and inspiration.

Photograph: Students from area high schools participated in Montgomery County Community College’s TriCounty High School Art Exhibition, and 19 students received Awards of Excellence for their artwork. Photograph by Diane VanDyke.

Pottstown, PA —More than 115 visitors attended the “Meet the Artists” reception and awards ceremony for the Third Annual TriCounty High School art show on Feb. 17 at Montgomery County Community College’s Fine Arts Gallery, North Hall, 16 High Street, Pottstown.

During the awards presentation, 19 students received certificates in recognition of their artwork, along with gifts of sketch pads and pencils. MCCC’s art faculty served as judges of the show, which included 160 entries from area high schools.

The exhibition opened Feb. 17 and will continue through March 4. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Closed weekends.

The next exhibit, the 11th Annual Art Students’ Exhibition and Competition, opens on April 6 and runs through April 29 and features the artwork of MCCC students. The community is invited to the opening reception and award ceremony on Wednesday, April 13, 5-7 p.m. For more information about the exhibition, contact Gallery Director Holly Cairns at 215-619-7349 or hcairns@mc3.edu.

– The Working Artists Members of ArtFusion 19464 are competing for an incredible Best in Show award. The two artists who receive the most Best in Show votes will win their own show in the ArtFusion gallery in the fall of 2016. The contest is taking place during the annual Winter Member Show, an always wonderful collection of different styles and mediums, created by artists living in the greater Pottstown community.

Visitors to the gallery are asked to choose their favorite artist and make a donation in support of that artist winning Best in Show. Each $1 donation counts as one vote. Supporters can vote as many times as they like, for as many artists as they like. For those who can’t come to the show in person, online voting is available at the ArtFusion website, artfusion19464.org. Online voting ends on March 3. Visitors can also in person at ArtFusion up until 7pm on March 4, which the night of the reception and award ceremony. All proceeds from this fundraiser help support the non-profit community art center.

The reception will be held Friday, March 4 from 6-8pm in ArtFusion’s main gallery. Light refreshments will be served and the reception is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by calling 610-326-2506.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located at 254 E. High St. in downtown Pottstown. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Allentown, PA — Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre will hold open auditions on Feb. 28 and 29. Performers will be cast for the season’s mainstage productions: “Gypsy,” performing June 15 – July 3, and a second show performing July 13-31.

The following audition details can also be found online, at muhlenberg.edu/smt. A performance rights agreement prevents SMT from announcing the title of the second production at this time, but full details are available on the website.

For the second production of the season, actors of color are particularly encouraged to audition.

Children may audition for “Gypsy” on Sunday, Feb. 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. They should be ages 8 to 12, both boys and girls, under 5 feet 2 inches in height. They should prepare a vocal audition as described below, and will be taught a dance combination.

Preliminary dance and vocal auditions will be held for both productions on Sunday, Feb. 28, from 3 to 11 p.m., and Monday, Feb. 29, from 5 to 11 p.m. All auditions will take place at Muhlenberg College, at the Baker Center for the Arts and the Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance.

All auditioners must register in advance and schedule an audition. Auditioners should send an email to SMTcompany@muhlenberg.edu by Friday, Feb. 26, indicating available dates and times within the scheduled audition, and providing a mobile phone number where the auditioner can be reached with questions.

Those without access to email should call the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance office at 484-664-3087, during regular office hours before Thursday, Feb. 25. Voice messages should contain all of the above information.

For “Gypsy,” performers ages 16 and up are encouraged to audition. There are several roles for older actors. As indicated above, a separate audition will be held Sunday afternoon for children. All auditioners should prepare a 32-bar up-tempo song selection from a Broadway musical written before 1975. Please no rock or pop selections. Some roles do not require singing, but everyone interested in being in the production should prepare a vocal audition. Bring properly marked sheet music. An accompanist will be provided.

All females auditioning for the production will be required to do a short dance audition. All males auditioning for the production under the age of 30 will also be required to do a dance audition. No preparation is required. Males over the age of 30 need not do a dance audition.

For the second production the director will be casting actors ages 15 and up. Actors of color are especially encouraged to audition. Please prepare a 32-bar cut of a song from a contemporary musical. Bring properly marked sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. All actors will also be required to do a dance audition.

Auditioners may audition for both productions. People who are auditioning for both shows should prepare two different songs.

All actors participating in Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre productions are paid a stipend. Out-of-town actors are provided with free housing. We will consider casting Equity members on guest artist contracts.

Auditioners who live too far away from the Allentown area or who are unable to attend auditions may submit a preliminary video audition. The video should consist of a comedic monologue not more than two minutes in length, one song (see guidelines above), and a 90-second dance solo. Please send a ling to a video hosted on the internet; e.g., YouTube or Vimeo. Do not send attached files via email. You may also submit a DVD following the same guidelines, which should be received prior to the audition dates.

Auditioners who receive a callback must attend in person to be considered for a role. Callbacks will include acting auditions, reading from the script.

Auditioners should bring two copies of their resumes and headshots.

“Gypsy” will be directed by Charles Richter, with choreography by Karen Dearborn and musical direction by Michael Schnack. Rehearsals are May 24 through June 14, Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. Young actors will not be called during school hours and will generally be released by 9 p.m. Performances are June 14 through July 3, Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

The second production will be directed by James Peck, with choreography by Samuel Antonio Reyes and musical direction by Ed Bara. Rehearsals are June 21 through July 12, Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m and 7 to 11 p.m. Performances are July 13-31, Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. A performance rights agreement prevents SMT from announcing the title of the second production at this time, but full details are available on the website.

Non-performing opportunities are available for technicians and costumers. Carpenters, electricians, props technicians, light board and sound board operators, and stage crew are needed for productions. Costumers, first hand, stitchers, and wardrobe running crew are needed in the costume shop.

High school stage management internships are available for those who will be at least 16 years old by the time they begin working for MSMT. Interns work alongside college students and professionals from the College, and guest artists from New York, learning valuable skills that they can take back to their high school programs. Interns receive a $400 stipend for the summer.

The application deadline for technicians, costumers, and administrative personnel is March 9. Applications can be found online at muhlenberg.edu/smt. Completed applications can be sent to smtcompany@muhlenberg.edu.

Pottstown, PA — Montgomery County Community College’s West End Student Theatre (WEST) group, in collaboration with the students’ recently formed chapter of the National Organization for Women, will present Eve Ensler’s award-winning “The Vagina Monologues,” on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. in the South Hall Community Room, West Campus, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. The students will be performing this as part of a national initiative known as V-Day to help raise awareness of violence against women and girls.

The show is open to the community, but anyone under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult due to the explicit content of the production. Tickets cost $2 at the door. Proceeds will benefit The Laurel House, a comprehensive domestic violence agency serving individuals, families and communities throughout Montgomery County.

MCCC’s V-Day joins thousands of other community groups which perform “The Vagina Monologues” each February. “The Vagina Monologues” consists of a series of monologues performed by women covering a variety female experiences. Ensler considers the show a conversation about women’s sexuality that should be centered in the global discussion on stopping violence against women and girls.

This type of community activism is what inspired several female students to form a local chapter of the National Organization for Women, a grassroots organization dedicated to the advocating for women’s rights. At MCCC, the chapter is led by President Lavinia Soliman and advisor Rebecca McGovney-Ingram. The MCCC Campus NOW chapter meets every Friday between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on both Central and West campuses to discuss modern feminism and campus outreach events.

According to its website, V-Day is “a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.” Through V-Day campaigns, activist groups present productions, such as “The Vagina Monologues” to raise awareness about violence and funding to support anti-violence community organizations. For more information, visit http://www.vday.org

Sunday, February 21, 201610:30am – 12:00pmat the home of Dr. Christine Oaklander

Join us on Sunday, February 21, 2016, from 10:30 am to noon, at the home of Dr. Christine Oaklander, arts consultant, historian and curator, for a behind-the-scene glimpse into the world of a curator. Christine has begun a quest to resurrect the reputation of 19th-century Henry Grant Plumb (1847-1930). Since her discovery of a treasure trove of Plumb’s artwork and personal letters last April, she has been researching the international scope of this artist’s life and work. Last June she gave a talk at the artist’s hometown public library in Sherburne, NY and last month lectured on the arts at the National Arts Club. Much of the collection of Plumb’s work that she purchased is on exhibit in her home.

Allentown, PA — The Arts in the Lehigh Valley mean business—and jobs. That is the message being delivered today by Lehigh Valley Arts Council who announced it has joined the Arts & Economic Prosperity® 5, a national study measuring the economic impact of nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences. The research study is being conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s nonprofit organization advancing the arts and arts education. It is the fifth study over the past 20 years to measure the impact of arts spending on local jobs, income paid to local residents, and revenue generated to local and state governments.

As one of nearly 300 study partners across all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Lehigh Valley Arts Council will collect detailed financial data about our local nonprofit arts and culture organizations such as our theater and dance companies, museums, festivals, and arts education organizations. “Many people don’t think of nonprofit arts organizations as businesses,” said Mike Stershic, President of Discover Lehigh Valley, “but this study will make clear that the arts are a formidable industry in our community—employing people locally, purchasing goods and services from local merchants, and helping to drive tourism.”

Lehigh Valley Arts Council will also collect surveys from attendees at arts events using a short, anonymous questionnaire that asks how much money they spent on items such as meals, parking and transportation, and retail shopping specifically as a result of attending the event. Previous studies have shown that the average attendee spends $24.60 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission. Those studies have also shown that, on average, 32 percent of arts attendees travel from outside the county in which the arts event took place, and that those cultural tourists typically spend nearly $40 per person—generating important revenue for local businesses and demonstrating how the arts drive revenue for other businesses in the community.

Surveys will be collected throughout calendar year 2016. The results of the study will be released in June of 2017.

“Arts are key to the economic development in the Lehigh Valley and have never been more important,” says Randall Forte Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council. “Hundreds of creative industries, nonprofit cultural organizations, and thousands of individual artists of all disciplines—dance, musical, theatrical, visual, literary and media arts—are invested in our community.”

The 2010 economic impact study of the Lehigh Valley’s nonprofit arts industry revealed a $208 million industry—providing 7,114 full-time jobs and generating $21 million in state and local taxes annually. “Our Arts & Economic Prosperity series demonstrates that the arts are an economic and employment powerhouse both locally and across the nation,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Leaders who care about community and economic vitality can feel good about choosing to invest in the arts. Nationally as well as locally, the arts mean business.” Complete details about the fiscal year 2010 study are available atwww.AmericansForTheArts.org/EconomicImpact.

Americans for the Arts’ Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study is supported by The Ruth Lilly Fund of Americans for the Arts. In addition, Americans for the Arts’ local and statewide study partners are contributing both time and a cost-sharing fee support to the study. For a full list of the nearly 300 Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study partners, visit www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AEP5Partners.

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About the Lehigh Valley Arts Council

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is the region’s central voice for the arts, promoting arts awareness and advocating its value while strengthening access to the arts for all citizens in our community. The Arts Council’s mission is to promote the arts; to encourage and support artists and their development; to assist arts organizations; and to facilitate communication and cooperation among artists, arts organizations, and the community. Services include arts research and advocacy, professional development seminars, publications, and cooperative regional marketing initiatives.

Lansdale, PA —Graduates from The Culinary Arts Institute (CAI) of Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) can now seamlessly transfer to Johnson & Wales University (JWU), Rhode Island, thanks to a recent articulation agreement signed by the institutions. The agreement encourages and facilitates the transfer of qualifying MCCC graduates to Johnson & Wales to complete their baccalaureate degrees in specific programs.

Under the agreement, MCCC students who graduate with a Culinary Arts Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree may transfer to Johnson & Wales’ Culinary Arts and Food Service Management Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program. Also, MCCC students who graduate with a Management A.A.S. degree with a Hospitality Management Concentration may transfer to Johnson & Wales’ Hotel and Lodging Management B.S. degree program.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students,” said Dr. Victoria Bastecki-Perez, MCCC Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost. “By forming this partnership, Johnson & Wales recognizes the quality and rigorous curricula designed and delivered by our faculty at the College. We are delighted to partner with Johnson & Wales to provide this seamless pathway for our graduates.”

“I am pleased this agreement is finalized, because as an alumna, I know that having a bachelor’s degree from a highly regarded institution like Johnson & Wales opened many doors for me, and I want our students to have the same opportunities,” said CAI Director Chef Francine Marz.

While MCCC’s graduates have successfully transferred to institutions across the country and world, building formal relationships with select colleges and universities streamlines the transfer process. These partnerships also introduce students to transfer destinations they may not have considered, such as leading institutions like Johnson & Wales.

“This agreement offers MCCC students an affordable opportunity to continue their education and meet their career goals,” said James M. Richard, Director of JWU Culinary Admissions. “Students who transfer from MCCC to Johnson & Wales will join a diverse student body and receive a global education and graduate with the skills needed for today’s workforce.”

CAI students, such as Jacqueline Ramos, have been looking forward to this new partnership.

“For the past few months, I’ve waited anxiously to hear about this agreement. Finally, today, with much excitement, I have been told ‘yes,’ the agreement is finalized, and I can start the process to transfer to Johnson & Wales after graduation from The Culinary Arts Institute of Montgomery County Community College,” said Ramos, who has dreamed about a culinary career since she was a teenager.

This agreement is the first between MCCC’s Culinary Arts Institute and a four-year institution. Overall, MCCC has transfer agreements with close to 60 colleges and universities. To learn more about transfer opportunities at MCCC, visit mc3.edu/student-resources/transfer-services/transfer-agreements.

About Johnson & Wales University

Founded in 1914, Johnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 16,000 graduate, undergraduate and online students at its four campuses in Providence, R.I.; North Miami, Fla.; Denver, Colo.; and Charlotte, N.C. An innovative educational leader, the university offers degree programs in arts and sciences, business, culinary arts, education, nutrition, hospitality, physician assistant studies, engineering and design. Its unique model integrates arts and sciences and industry-focused education with work experience and leadership opportunities, inspiring students to achieve professional success and lifelong personal growth. The university’s impact is global, with alumni from 119 countries pursuing careers worldwide. For more information, visit www.jwu.edu.

About Montgomery County Community College

Montgomery County Community College offers a comprehensive curriculum of more than 100 degree and certificate programs, a Virtual Campus, a Culinary Arts Institute, a Municipal Police Academy, and specialized workforce development programs, all of which leverage the College’s nationally ranked use of innovative technology. An Achieving the Dream (AtD) Leader College, the institution is positioned at the vanguard of national efforts to increase completion, improve learning outcomes, and remove barriers to access for close to 20,000 students annually. The College is also recognized regionally and nationally for its sustainability leadership, work with military veterans, and community service and service learning opportunities. For more information, visithttp://www.mc3.edu.

About The Culinary Arts Institute

The Culinary Arts Institute of Montgomery County Community College is the region’s home for innovative, affordable culinary arts education and training. The Culinary Arts program includes both associate degree and certificate programs, as well as non-credit culinary enthusiast and professional development course offerings. The 15,000-square-foot facility at 1400 Forty Foot Road, Lansdale, in Towamencin Township, is conveniently located near the Blue Route (I-476) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The facility features four state-of-the-art kitchens and equipment, three SMART classrooms, and a retail bakery café, Forty Foot Café, and Bistro 1400 restaurant, where students can develop real-world food preparation and customer service skills. For more information, visit http://www.mc3.edu/culinary.

Althouse
Arboretum

February, 2016

Awesome First Year!
Trails, programs, conferences, mobile lab and more! Read about all the accomplishment of GreenAllies and the Althouse Arboretum in their first year! Tori Bateman, one of our college interns, put together this entertaining and educational report. As you read it see if your name or picture is in it!

Friends of the Arboretum

Join us! All invited! Find out what’s happening, student projects, new opportunities and more! We are a group of interested friends, neighbors, and students who come together once per season to learn, exchange ideas, and discuss possibilities for enriching the Arboretum experience for the community.

We have some new ideas we’d like to share. Hope you can come!(Here’s more about the Friends)

The Arboretum

Through cross-easement agreements with Upper Pottsgrove Township, the parcel purchased by the Township will be used as an environmental education center, complete with trails, outdoor classrooms and nature education sites managed and run by GreenAllies with no cost to the Township. All programs, activities, trail work and more is done by Green Allies with input from local students and community members. The Alliance is solely funded by grants and donations. More information is available here

Our website!

Find even more events and programs as well as information and history about the Arboretum, and even a wish list. Check it out there!

Upcoming Events

Last chance to vote!

All these projects are worth while and will eventually get done but the project with the most votes gets all! Make your tax-deductible vote NOW for your favorite project!
(Make sure to include the feature you want your $’s to vote for!)

Scrap Metal Recycling Day

Saturday, April 2nd 9am to 3pm

Volunteer Days

10am to 3pm – Come any time!

Earth Day – Saturday, April 23rdSaturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22ndSunday, June 26th

Join the fun! We create and maintain the trails, activity areas, and other features of the Arboretum, plant gardens, work on the house and more! Bring the entire family, introduce friends or make new ones at this new community resource.

Pottstown, PA – Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Greater Pottstown Foundation Scholarship for the Arts. This $10,000 scholarship is designed to financially assist a local high school senior from Pottstown, Pottsgrove, Owen J. Roberts or The Hill School in obtaining a degree from accredited academic institutions of higher learning for study in the arts. ArtFusion 19464 is proud to partner for the fifth year with the Foundation to present this scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded based on two criteria: artistic performance as displayed at the Greater Pottstown Foundation Scholarship Art Exhibit at ArtFusion 19464, and an essay on why the applicant wants to continue their education in the arts. The applicant’s intended field of study must include a major or a minor in an arts-related field.

Applications can be downloaded at the ArtFusion website (http://artfusion19464.org/classes/scholarshipsprograms/) or sent via email by contactinginfo@artfusion19464.org. A paper copy can be picked up at their 254 E. High St. location. Applications and essays are due by February 29. The artwork for the mandatory art show at ArtFusion does not need to be completed until the May 14 drop off date.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located at 254 E. High St. in downtown Pottstown. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am-5:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am-3:00 pm. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

Blue Bell/Pottstown, PA — As a result of technology and automation, today’s manufacturing jobs require more advanced skills for employees, as well as an overall understanding of the processes.

To assist people who are seeking first-time employment in manufacturing or who recently entered the industry, Montgomery County Community College’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD) is offering scholarships for an online, non-credit Manufacturing Fundamentals course to help them gain a basic understanding of today’s manufacturing environment.

Thanks to a generous gift from the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), the College’s CWD can offer $100 scholarships to cover the course fee for the first 100 participants who register. The scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The six-week Manufacturing Fundamentals course covers the role of production design, process planning and 13 different manufacturing processes. The course will help participants understand and master product development concepts such as the voice of the customer, quality function deployment and failure mode and effects analysis, among others.

While participants will not need to purchase any textbooks, they will need Internet access, email, and Internet browser (Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 or above, Google Chrome or Safari) and Adobe PDF plug-in (a free download is available at Adobe.com).

The scholarship program for the Manufacturing Fundamentals course is one of the workforce training initiatives MCCC is able to offer to the community as a result of receiving a matching grant of $2,177,471 from MCEDC in 2015. This exceptional gift established an endowment supporting MCCC’s expertise in educating and training students for regional jobs and careers. Since it is a matching grant, donations have double the impact in funding vital workforce development initiatives.

The first distribution from matched funds is supporting four initiatives: an Innovation and Sustainability Hub Learning Lab for Hydroponics and Aquaponics, Advanced Manufacturing training and support, Workforce Skills Modules in Information Technology and Manufacturing and a Software Developer Academy.

MCEDC’s grant started a new chapter in community college philanthropy and its matching gift challenge presents the community with the opportunity to invest in tomorrow’s workforce. To discuss funding opportunities or personal goals in making gift in support of the match, contact the Foundation at 215-641-6529.

Allentown, PA – An evening of visionary experimental theater will be on display in Muhlenberg College’s “New Visions” Directors’ Festival, Feb. 24-28. The festival features plays directed by three gifted senior directing students in the College’s Department of Theatre & Dance.

Each of the three one-act plays offers a fresh perspective on contemporary social issues: “Terrible Beautiful Bodies,” written by Muhlenberg alumni Ben Nassau ’15 and Moriah Benjoseph ’15 and directed by Amanda Nell ’16; “Hello Out There,” written by William Saroyan and directed by Philip Kaufman ’16; and “The Exception and the Rule,” written by Bertolt Brecht and directed by Lauren Goldberger ’16.

“Terrible Beautiful Bodies” asks important questions about the bodies we inhabit, Nell says, and examines the shape and stigma that is often attached to the human form. The play consists of vignettes and monologues taken from real interviews about how people view their bodies.

“I am looking to create a very collaborative environment within my cast, where each actor feels supported and can have their voices heard,” Nell says. “I’ve gotten the sense that people don’t have the best relationship with their bodies, and it is important that we bring this to light in a public setting.”

“Hello Out There” tells the story of a professional gambler who is falsely accused of rape and held in a backwater Texas jail cell. While in custody, he meets the love of his life — but his accuser’s husband is armed, furious, and on his way.

“My plan is to direct a political commentary on the current environment of our country, specifically addressing black lives,” Kaufman says. “I have been working with professors and the Black Student Association on campus in order to make a contribution through this play to the community’s ongoing dialogue.”

German playwright Bertolt Brecht explores issues of class warfare and privilege in “The Exception and the Rule” through the grimly ironic story of a merchant and his porter, who find misfortune on a journey across the desert. The play was originally part of the Lehrstücke cycle, a series of plays used to educate the German middle class about oppression and classism in the 1930s.

“I’m hoping to look at interactions between social classes that happen around us all the time, but go unnoticed,” Goldberger says. “We become numb to these interactions, and I want to bring out how they are relevant in everyday life.”

“Each piece in this year’s festival addresses contemporary issues that are relevant in the community,” says Charles Richter, who serves as director of Muhlenberg’s theatre program and the festival’s artistic director. “The plays are each very different in form, and each has so much to offer in terms of performance experience for the cast and community content for the audiences.”

Performances of “New Visions” are Feb. 24-28. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for LVAIC students. Each “New Visions” performance includes all three short plays. Tickets can be purchased online at muhlenberg.edu/theatreanddance or by phone at 484-664-3333. Performances are in the Studio Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. For mature audiences.

Blue Bell, Pa.— Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) will host information sessions about its popular Pharmacy Technician program on Tuesday, Feb. 9 from noon-1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 6-7:30 p.m. Sessions will be held in Advanced Technology Center 212 at MCCC’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. For information, call 215-461-1127.

Pharmacy technician is designated as a High Priority Occupation in Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reports that individuals with formal training or prior experience are the best candidates for employment.

Students who successfully complete MCCC’s Pharmacy Technician program are prepared to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s national exam, among other national and state certifications, increasing their marketability.

MCCC is offering a total of six Pharmacy Technician sections this spring.

At the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, the program will be offered at the following days/times:

– Saturdays, March 5-May 21, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

– Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 8-May 3, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

– Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 22-May 10, 6-9:30 p.m.

At the West Campus, 101 College Drive, Pottstown, the program will be offered at the following days/times:

– Saturdays, March 5-May 21, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

– Mondays and Wednesdays, March 7-May 2, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

– Mondays and Wednesdays, March 21-May 9, 6:9:30 p.m.

The cost of attending the Pharmacy Technician program is $1,995, which includes the course textbook. The program is approved by PA Career Link for students who qualify. Students should have, or be pursing, a high school diploma or GED to enroll. To learn more or to register, call 215-461-1127 or email grossett@mc3.edu.